[22] furthermore, since I am on terms of acquaintance, perhaps even of intimacy, with the Emperor, as well as with many others who may be called the most influential among the Romans, he suggests that I should associate with them, enjoying their esteem and admiration, instead of being taken to task in your city before this or that individual; again, if I really like foreign travel, I should, he says, visit the greatest cities, escorted with much enthusiasm and éclat, the recipients of my visits being grateful for my presence and begging me to address them and advise them flocking about my doors from early dawn, all without my having incurred any expense or having made any contribution, with the result that all would admire me and perhaps some would exclaim,
Ye gods! his dear and honoured is this man
To whatsoever town and folk he comes;
[23] ἀλλὰ μὴ δαπανᾶν μὲν ἐξ ὀλίγων ὑπαρχόντων, ἀσχολεῖσθαι δὲ ἀσχολίας ἀνωφελεῖς, τὸ δὲ σῶμα, θεραπείας δεόμενον καὶ πολλῆς προσοχῆς, καταφθείρειν ἀμελοῦντα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἐᾶν ἄγευστον φιλοσοφίας καὶ τῶν τοιούτων μαθημάτων, πρὸς δὲ τὸν δεῖνα ἐξετάζεσθαι ἢ τὸν δεῖνα καὶ κακῶς ἀκούειν ἐνίοτε καὶ δάκνεσθαι. πρὸς θεῶν ὁ ταῦτα ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φροντίζων καὶ διαλεγόμενος οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων εὐνούστατος ἐμοὶ καὶ μάλιστα ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ φιλεῖσθαι δίκαιος; ὅταν δὲ ἀκούω λέγειν τινὰ ὡς περὶ τυράννου, παράδοξον ἐμοὶ φαίνεται καὶ γελοῖον.
[23] but I should not spend money out of slender resources, be busied with unprofitable ventures, destroy with neglect my body, which calls for treatment and much attention, allow my soul to go so long without a taste of philosophy and kindred subjects, and be called to account before this or that man and be subjected to abuse at times and made to smart.
By Heaven, is not the man who frets and reasons thus in my behalf most well disposed toward me of all and most deserving of my love? However, when I hear that a certain person is talking about me as if I were a tyrant, it seems to me to be amazing, yes, ridiculous.
[24] ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐπίσταμαι τῶν τυράννων ἔργα τοιαῦτα, μοιχεύειν γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας καὶ διαφθείρειν παῖδας, ἀνθρώπους ἐλευθέρους τύπτειν καὶ αἰκίζεσθαι πάντων ὁρώντων, τοὺς δὲ καὶ στρεβλοῦν, οἷον εἰς ζέοντα λέβητα καθιέντας, ἄλλους δὲ καταπιττοῦντας: ὧν οὐδὲν ἐγὼ ποιῶ: ἑτέραν δὲ γυναῖκα τύραννον Σεμίραμιν, ὅτι πρεσβυτέρα τὴν ἡλικίαν οὖσα καὶ μάχλος ἠνάγκαζε συγγίγνεσθαί τινας ἑαυτῇ. τῶν δὲ τυράννων ἕνα ἀκήκοα ταῦτα ποιοῦντα, πρεσβύτην θρασύν.
[24] For according to my understanding tyrant’s acts are like the following: seduction of married women and ruining of boys, beating and maltreating free men in the sight of all, sometimes even subjecting men to torture, as, for example, plunging them into a seething cauldron, and at other times administering a coat of tar; but I do naught of this. Furthermore, I know regarding a female tyrant, Semiramis, that, being advanced in years and lustful, she used to force men to lie with her. And of male tyrants I have heard it said that so-and-so did the same thing, outrageous old sinner!
[25] ὧν τί πρὸς ἐμέ ἐστιν; ἢ ὅτι τὴν οἰκίαν οἰκοδομῶ πολυτελῶς; ἀλλ̓ οὐκ ἐῶ πίπτειν; ἢ ὅτι πορφύραν αὐτὸς ἠμφίεσμαι; ἀλλ̓ οὐ φαῦλον τριβώνιον; ἀλλ̓ ὅτι κομῶ καὶ γένεια ἔχω; τοῦτο δ̓ ἴσως οὐ τυραννικόν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ βασιλικόν. ἔφη δ̓ οὖν τις ὅτι καὶ τὸ κακῶς ἀκούειν καλῶς ποιοῦντα καὶ τοῦτο βασιλικόν ἐστιν.
[25] But what has all this to do with me? Is it because I build my house in costly style instead of letting it tumble down? Or because I myself wear purple instead of a miserable rag or cloak? Can it be because I wear long hair and have a beard? But, possibly this is not the mark of a tyrant but rather of a king. However that may be, some one has said that being roundly abused, though doing kindly deeds, is also a mark of royalty.
THE FORTY-EIGHTH DISCOURSE: A POLITICAL ADDRESS IN ASSEMBLY
ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΟΣ ΕΝ ΕΚΚΑΗΣΙΑΙ.
THE FORTY-EIGHTH DISCOURSE: A POLITICAL ADDRESS IN ASSEMBLY
This address, like the one preceding, is closely related to Dio’s project for embellishing Prusa, of which we are to hear no more. The immediate occasion is the presence in Prusa of Varenus Rufus, newly appointed proconsul of Bithynia. He has just arrived in the province and plans on the morrow to leave Prusa on a tour of inspection. The populace of Prusa, exercising its newly regained right of public assembly, has gathered for the purpose of greeting the new governor. Dio pleads with them not to treat the occasion as an opportunity to air their local grievances against certain fellow townsmen, but to present a united front and postpone to a later date such charges as may require attention. These charges appear to involve members of the upper class at Prusa, some of whom have been tardy in paying their pledges to the building project (§ 11), while others are accused of having state money in their possession (§§ and ), presumably obtained in connexion with that same enterprise. Dio urges patience and a sympathetic treatment of the points at issue, defending the character of the persons involved and extolling the blessings of concord.
If the date of the proconsulship of Varenus were known, the dating of this Discourse would present no problem. By close reasoning from internal evidence Arnim arrives at the summer of A.D. 102 as the date of this address. Of importance for his argument is the turmoil in Bithynia, so prominent in this speech, a turmoil which Arnim connects with the maladministration of the province by Julius Bassus, the immediate predecessor of Varenus. Although Dio is at great pains to minimize the manifestations of unrest at Prusa and to attribute them to injection from without, the space devoted to that effort is in itself fair proof that conditions at Prusa must have been bad.
[1] Πρῶτον μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες, τῷ κρατίστῳ Οὐαρηνῷ δεῖ χάριν ἡμᾶς εἰδέναι καὶ διὰ τὴν ἄλλην προθυμίαν, ἣν ἐπιδέδεικται πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ὅτι βουλομένοις ἡμῖν ἐκκλησιάσαι πάλιν ἐφῆκεν οὐ μόνον ἑτοίμως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡδέως. τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν πιστεύοντος ὑμῖν καὶ εἰδότος [p. 88] ὅτι πρὸς οὐδὲν ἄτοπον χρήσεσθε τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ. οὔτε γὰρ ξύλα χλωρὰ δήπουθεν οὐδεὶς συντίθησιν, ὥστε κάεσθαι, προειδὼς ὅτι ἀνάγκη γενέσθαι καπνὸν πολὺν καὶ ἄτοπον, οὔτε τεταραγμένον δῆμον εἰς ταὐτὸ συνάγει νοῦν ἔχων ἡγεμών, ἀλλὰ ἂν μή τις μείζων ἀνάγκη
The Forty-eighth Discourse: A Political Address in Assembly
In the first place, my friends, we ought to feel grateful to the most noble Varenus, not only for the general goodwill he has displayed toward our city, but also because, when we wished to hold an assembly once more, he gave his permission, not only readily but even gladly. For this was the act of one who trusts you and knows you will not use the privilege for any disagreeable purpose. For just as no one, I assume, collects green logs to build a fire, knowing in advance that there is bound to be much disagreeable smoke, so no proconsul of good judgement convenes a meeting of a communit
y which is in a state of turmoil, unless some major emergency overtakes him.
[2] καταλάβῃ. νῦν οὖν ὑμέτερον ἔργον ἐστὶ μὴ ψεύσασθαι αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀλλ̓ ἐπιδεῖξαι σωφρόνως καὶ καλῶς αὑτοὺς ἐκκλησιάζοντας, καὶ πρῶτον, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, καλλωπίσασθαι τῇ φιλίᾳ τῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ ὁμονοίᾳ, κἂν δεῦρο ἀφίκηται παρακληθείς, περὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ὧν ἐβοᾶτε ὑπερθέσθαι: ζητήσει γὰρ αὐτὸς τὰ δημόσια, κἂν ὑμεῖς κωλύειν θέλητε. τὸ δὲ νῦν εὐχαριστήσατε καὶ δεξιώσασθε καὶ μετ̓ εὐφημίας καὶ τιμῆς ὑποδέξασθε, ἵνα μὴ ὥσπερ ατρὸς πρὸς νοσοῦντας ὑπόπτως καὶ ἀηδῶς θεραπείας ἕνεκεν, ἀλλ̓
[2] On the present occasion, therefore, it is your duty not to prove false to his conception of you, but rather to show yourselves temperate and well-behaved in assembly, and first and foremost, I believe, to adorn yourselves with mutual friendship and concord, and if he comes in answer to our invitation, to defer the other matters about which you were so vociferous; for he will inquire into the public problems himself, even if you wish to prevent him. But for the present express your appreciation of his goodness, greet him with applause, and welcome him with auspicious words and honour, to the end that he may visit you, not as a physician visits the sick, with apprehension and worry over their treatment, but rather as one visits the well, with joy and eagerness.
[3] ὡς πρὸς ὑγιαίνοντας ἡδέως καὶ προθύμως παρῇ. καὶ γὰρ δὴ νῦν μὲν ἄπεισι μετὰ τὴν τήμερον ἴσως ἡμέραν, ἀφικνεῖται δὲ ἀλίγον ὕστερον: καὶ τότε, ἂν μὴ πρότερον αὐτοὶ πείσωμεν ὑμᾶς, εἴ τις ἄρα τῶν δημοσίων ἔχει τι, καὶ δικασταῖς καὶ διαιτηταῖς ἀλλήλοις χρησάμενοι, τότε ἐξέσται καὶ λέγειν καὶ καταβοᾶν. τό γε μὴν προεξανίστασθαι μὴ σφόδρα ἄγνωμον ᾖ. ποῦ γὰρ ἀπεπειράθητε ἢ πότε ἠξιώσατε παῤ αὐτῶν; ἢ τίς ὑμῖν οὐχ ὑπήκουσε; καὶ τὴν εὐφημίαν τὴν εἰς ἐμέ, ἐγὼ δέομαι, τρέψατε εἰς ἅπαντας. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν ἑστιάσει πάνυ αἰσχρόν ἐστιν ἕνα τῶν κατακειμένων πίνειν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μὴ μόνον τῷ οἰνοχόῳ δυσκολαίνομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πίνοντι, τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς πολιτικοῖς
[3] For though now, indeed, he will possibly leave here to-morrow, he will return a little later; and then, unless in the meantime we ourselves can win you to our view, in case some one really has something belonging to the commonwealth, by using one another as both judges and arbitrators, then, I say, you will have the opportunity not only to speak but also to shout others down. At all events I suspect it is very senseless to start a riot prematurely. For where have you put the matter to the test, or when have you made any demand upon them, or who has refused to listen to you?
Furthermore, I do entreat you, address to all the praise you are offering me. For just as at a banquet it is very disgraceful for only one of the guests to be drinking, and for this reason we take umbrage, not merely at the cupbearer, but also at the man who is drinking, this same principle obtains in regard to the official resolutions of commendation.
[4] ἐπαίνοις ἐστίν. καὶ ταῦτα ποιοῦντες αὑτοὺς κοσμήσετε, ὡς ἔστι κόσμος τῆς πόλεως μέγιστος ὁ τῶν πολιτῶν ἔπαινος. ἐπὶ τίνι γὰρ ἄλλῳ μέγα φρονεῖτε; οὐ μεγέθει μὲν ἕτεραι διαφέρουσι πόλεις καὶ νὴ Δία πλούτῳ καὶ περιουσίᾳ καὶ τοῖς δημοσίοις οἰκοδομήμασιν; ἓν δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ᾧ φιλοτιμούμεθα σχεδὸν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους, τὸ ἔχειν ἄνδρας ἱκανοὺς καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ εἰπεῖν, καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, ἀγαπῶντας τὴν πατρίδα. ἐὰν δέ τις ὑμῶν τοῦτο ἀφέληται, ποίας [p. 89] πόλεως καὶ τῆς βραχυτάτης δόξετε ἀμείνους; νῦν γάρ, ἐὰν διενεχθῆτε πρός τινα πόλιν, ὃ μηδεὶς ποιήσειε θεῶν, ἔπειτα ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς ἡμετέρους πολίτας λοιδορῶσι λέγοντες ὅτι εἰσὶν ἅρπαγες, ἄπιστοι, πῶς οἴσετε; οὐχ ἕξετε χαλεπῶς; οὐκ εὐθὺς βοήσετε, λοιδορήσεσθε, εἰς χεῖρας τυχὸν ἐλεύσεσθε, ὃ γέγονε πολλάκις πρότερον;
[4] Besides, if you do this, you will be bringing honour upon yourselves, since the greatest honour a city has is the praise its citizens receive. On what else do you base your pride? Do not other cities excel you in point of size, and also, God knows, in wealth and plenty and their public edifices? However, this is the one particular in which we rival practically all the world, namely, our having men competent both to act and to speak, and, what is the most important of all, men who love their country. But if any one takes this from you, to what city, even the humblest, will you be deemed superior? For now, in case you have a quarrel with any city — which may none of the gods bring to pass! — and the people of that city consequently revile our citizens, saying they are rapacious, untrustworthy, in what temper will you take it? Will you not be angry? Will you not straightway shout, be abusive, possibly come to blows, as has often happened in the past?
[5] εἶθ̓ ἃ λεγόντων ἑτέρων οὐκ ἀνέχεσθε ἀκούοντες, ταῦτα ἐρεῖτε αὐτοὶ καθ̓ ἑαυτῶν; ἐάν ποτε γένηται διαφορά, κἀκεῖνοι προφέρωσιν ὑμῖν τὸ πονηροὺς ἔχειν πολίτας τὸ στασιάζειν, οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε; ὡς ἔγωγε τοὺς θεοὺς ὑμῖν ὀμνύω πάντας, ἦ μὴν σφόδρα ἠχθέσθην εἰπόντος μοί τινος, Διάλλαξον τὴν πόλιν̔, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἠγανάκτησα. μὴ γὰρ ἴδοιμι τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην, ἐν ᾗ διαλλαγῶν ὑμεῖς δεήσεσθε, ἀλλ̓ εἰς ἐχθρῶν, φασί, κεφαλὰς τὰ τοιαῦτα τρέποιτο, τοῦτ̓ ἔστι εἰς τοὺς καταράτους Γέτας, εἰς
[5] Then what you do not tolerate from the lips of others will you yourselves say against yourselves? If ever a quarrel arises and your adversaries taunt you with having wicked citizens, with dissension, are you not put to shame? As for myself, I swear to you by all the gods, I was indeed violently angry when a certain person said to me, “Bring reconciliation to the city,” and I was vexed with him. For may I never see the day when you need reconciliation, but, as the saying goes, may such things be diverted to the heads of our enemies, that is, to the accursed Getae, but not to any others, members of our own race.
[6] μηδένα δὲ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν. τί γὰρ ἂν εἴη τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπιδημίας ὄφελος, εἰ μὴ πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα πειθομένους ὑμᾶς ἄγοιμεν, λόγων ἀεὶ συναγωγῶν ὁμονοίας καὶ φιλίας συναράμενοι, καθ̓ ὅσον οἷοί τέ ἐσμεν, ἔχθραν δὲ καὶ ἔριν καὶ φιλονικίαν ἄλογον καὶ
[6] Why, what would be the good of my presence here, if I should fail to lead you to such a policy by persuasion, having constantly engaged with you in discussions conducive to concord and amity, so far as I am able, and trying in every way to eradicate
unreasonable and foolish enmity and strife and contention? For truly it is a fine thing and profitable for one and all alike to have a city show itself of one mind, on terms of friendship with itself and one in feeling, united in conferring both censure and praise, bearing for both classes, the good and the bad, a testimony in which each can have confidence.
[7] ἀνόητον ἐξαιροῦντες πάντα τρόπον. καλὸν γὰρ δὴ καὶ συμφέρον ὁμοίως ἅπασι πόλιν ὁμογνώμονα ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ φίλην αὑτῇ καὶ συμπαθῆ κάλλιστον θεαμάτων, εὐδαιμονέστατον δὲ ἁπάντων κτημάτων μία γνώμη περὶ πάντων φαινομένη: ψόγον τε καὶ ἔπαινον ἐπὶ ταὐτὸ φέροντας, τοῖς τε ἀγαθοῖς καὶ τοῖς φαύλοις πιστὴν ἑκατέροις μαρτυρίαν καλὸν γάρ, ὥσπερ ἐν χορῷ τεταγμένῳ, συνᾴδειν ἓν καὶ ταὐτὸ μέλος, ἀλλὰ μὴ πονηροῦ τρόπον ὀργάνου διαφέρεσθαι διπλοῦς φθόγγους τε καὶ ἤχους ἀποφαίνοντας ἀπὸ διπλῶν καὶ ποικίλων ἠθῶν τρόπον αὐλοῦ κατεαγότος διπλᾶς φωνὰς ἐν ᾧ σχεδὸν ἥ τε καταφρόνησις καὶ δυστυχία καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ἰσχύειν [p. 90] μήτε παῤ ἑαυτοῖς μήτε παρὰ τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν. οὔτε γὰρ τῶν ἀσυμφώνων φώνων χορῶν οὐδεὶς ἀκούει ῥᾳδίως ὅ,τι λέγουσιν οὔτε τῶν διαφερομένων πόλεων. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν μιᾷ νηὶ πλέοντας οὐ δυνατὸν οἶμαι χωρὶς ἕκαστον σωτηρίας τυγχάνειν, ἀλλ̓ ἅμα πάντας, οὕτως
Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom Page 326